San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-14

| field OF honor, my wife, who lived under
the roof OF this man. Duncan for fifteen
| years. recognizes him fully and has not
particle Of doubt as TO his personal
Identity"
Duncan's or Douglas political friends
gathered around him and got him out
OF the court house ere anyone suspected
such movement Was contemplated. |
! and my wife walked down The street to
the residence OF friend with whom we
had promised to spend the night and in
reaching the house of this friend, we had
to pass 10y the only hotel In Lexington,
the county seat of Holmes county, and
on the piazza Of the hotel, Douglas, or
Duncan was standing as we passed. Az
ter we had passed, the report Of pistol
broke the stiffness Of the scene, and
sharp pain in my right side admonished
me that the bullet from the assassins
pistol had hit me. My own pistol was
instantly IN nv hand and levelling it at
Duncan, l di'ctargsd it, just rs be
WAS in the act OF again shooting at me.
He staggered, Teelrd, then fell upon the
floor, whence he was ia en- up aud borne
INTO room adjoining the piazza, and
two physicians were summoned to at
tend him. They told hun his wound
would prove fatal, that nothing could
avert death. hut that he might live ten
or fifteen hours.
IL am rich and will pay you any price
II you will go TO work and save my life.
| cannot die just now" said the wound
ed man.
The physicians repeated their state
ment that surgical kill could not save
his life, and that Ii would be well for
min TO arrang- his worldly aft airs
My wound WAS quite painful. hut was
not AT all dangerous, as the bullet had
h. tlicted n flesh wound In my right side.
Duncan remained doygedly silent for
fully an hour after having heard the dis
c"uraging statement OF the physicians,
but the look out of his eyes indicated
that he was neither In a stupOr nor
s"OOn What thuukhts were passing
through his mind, none could tell.
At length, he requested those In his
room 10 send for n justice OF The peace.
rs he wished to make statement under
oath before he died.
The follow < was his statement:
|, james Duncan, being satish d | am
now on my deathbed, and re ognizing the
hand OF God In the way in which my
crimes have been brought to light and
my death wound receiv. d, do make this
true confession. | Acknowledge the
truth OF the charges made this day by
Mr.. John Caskie. 1 did enter his room,
in D iOber. 1882. In my house, on Cllnch
river, In Tennessee, for the purpose Of
numbering and rOhbing him, but WIS
prevented by bis shooting me through
The face and daZing me for half an hour.
| also acknowledge that murdered Mr..
Winter and his wife--the parents of
Mrs. Maggie Csskie. and robbed them of
in nd oil oil
murdered their two negro slaves for
fear they might wag their tongues
about the disappearance of their mas
ter and mistress belonged to the clan
Of John A. Murrell until he was arrest
ed. Fifteen travellers were murdered
and robbed In my house, on Cliuch river,
and their bodies were thrown into a
deep hole, ug for the purpose, under
Teath the floor. They were all drugged
with an oplate put in their coffee al sup
per. fled to North Mississippi in 1882,
soon after the burning down of my
house, and changed my name-but all
my precaution and cunning were of no
avail. My mask WAS torn of today.
when | least expected it. | see In the
exposure OF my crimes and the manner
of my death, the hand Of God and just
retributiOn. My companions in crime
arc iii ucdu-tHty Uitu NlOient 1ealue-
my son, whom 1 tried TO make Maggie
Winner marry, was hung tor murder
my wife became insane, and was burned
TO death. wish Mrs Maggie Winter
To have $4,000 and interest upon IL from
1920. JAMES DUNCAN
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Holmes County.
Sworn 10 and subscribed before me,
September 10, lS4S.
PAUL s. DoAK, JR.,
Justice of the Peace.
Duncan died about day break the next
morning, and his death and confession
created an INNER Sc sensation. This is
all of my story, said John Cnskie.
John Caskie died. 10 1880 from the ef-
fects Of a fall from his horse; his wife
had preceded him TO the grave several
years; his children stil reside in Holmes
county, Mississippi, about six miles from
Lexington. TONEY.